2011-4963. Whitman River Dam, Inc.

Take notice that the following hydroelectric application has been filed with the Commission and is available for public inspection.

a. Type of Application: Exemption From Licensing.

b. Project No.: 13237-002.

c. Date Filed: February 14, 2011.

d. Applicant: Whitman River Dam, Inc.

e. Name of Project: Crocker Dam Hydro Project.

f. Location: On the Whitman River, in the Town of Westminster, Worcester County, Massachusetts. The project would not occupy lands of the United States.

g. Filed Pursuant to: Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978, 16 U.S.C. 2705, 2708.

h. Applicant Contact: Robert T. Francis, P.O. Box 145, 10 Tommy Francis Road, Westminster, MA 01473, [phone], [e-mail].

i. FERC Contact: Jeff Browning, [phone] or [e-mail].

j. Cooperating agencies: Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to environmental issues that wish to cooperate in the preparation of the environmental document should follow the instructions for filing such requests described in item l below. Cooperating agencies should note the Commission's policy that agencies that cooperate in the preparation of the environmental document cannot also intervene. See, 94 FERC ¶ 61,076 (2001).

k. Pursuant to Section 4.32(b)(7) of 18 CFR of the Commission's regulations, if any resource agency, Indian Tribe, or person believes that an additional scientific study should be conducted in order to form an adequate factual basis for a complete analysis of the application on its merit, the resource agency, Indian Tribe, or person must file a request for a study with the Commission not later than 60 days from the date of filing of the application, and serve a copy of the request on the applicant.

l. Deadline for filing additional study requests and requests for cooperating agency status: April 15, 2011.

All documents may be filed electronically via the Internet. See 18 CFR 385.2001(a)(1)(iii) and the instructions on the Commission's Web site (http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​ferconline.asp). Commenters can submit brief comments up to 6,000 characters, without prior registration, using the eComment system at http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​ecomment.asp. You must include your name and contact information at the end of your comments. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at [e-mail]; call toll-free at [phone]; or, for TTY, contact [phone]. Although the Commission strongly encourages electronic filing, documents may also be paper-filed. To paper-file, mail an original and seven copies to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426.

m. The application is not ready for environmental analysis at this time.

n. The Crocker Dam Hydro Project would consist of: (1) The existing 520-foot-long, 38.5-foot-high Crocker Pond dam; (2) an existing 99.7-acre impoundment with a normal water surface elevation of 751 feet msl; (3) an existing intake structure equipped with 42-inch-diameter penstock; and (4) a new powerhouse located adjacent to the dam containing one 145-kilowatt turbine generating unit. The proposed project is estimated to generate an average of 887,450 kilowatt-hours annually.

The applicant proposes to construct a new powerhouse downstream of the dam connected to the existing penstock via a short extension.

o. A copy of the application is available for review at the Commission in the Public Reference Room or may be viewed on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov using the “eLibrary” link. Enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the docket number field to access the document. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support. A copy is also available for inspection and reproduction at the address in item h above.

You may also register online at http://www.ferc.gov/​docs-filing/​esubscription.asp to be notified via e-mail of new filings and issuances related to this or other pending projects. For assistance, contact FERC Online Support.

p. With this notice, we are initiating consultation with the Massachusetts State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), as required by § 106, National Historic Preservation Act, and the regulations of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, 36 CFR, at 800.4.

q. Procedural schedule: The application will be processed according to the following Hydro Licensing Schedule. Revisions to the schedule will be made as appropriate (e.g., if scoping is waived, the schedule would be shortened).

Issue Deficiency Letter: April 2011.

Issue Notice of Acceptance: June 2011.

Issue Scoping Document: July 2011.

Issue Notice ready for environmental analysis: September 2011.

Issue Notice of the availability of the EA: February 2012.

Dated: February 25, 2011.

Kimberly D. Bose,

Secretary.